The Very Bare Necessities of Art: Ubud, Bali

When I was at University in Australia I actually did a bit of nude modelling for the Arts Department. At that time I had a good body unlike now!.

If you are a budding artist and travelling to Bali then you might like this. Pranoto's Art Gallery is now offering Life Drawing Sessions every Wednesday and Saturday according to a report in the Bali Discovery.

In the development of artistic skills the opportunity for life drawing - the creation of anatomical drawings using living and often time nude, models is a critical part in training the eye of the artist.

Betty Edward's ground breaking book "Drawings on the Right Side of the Brain" suggests that our left brain fools people into seeing what it wants to see. However when an artist works in close proximity with a live model the mind is compelled to actually see the details of human anatomy. These long hours are spent teaching the right brain to dominate the drawing process allowing the artist to create faithful renderings of the human form.

Only after an artist successfully commands the skills to duplicate the human form of the model is he or she truly free to experiment with abstractions and impressions. Similarly while Picasso gave full creative range to how he portrayed the human body on his canvasses he was in actual fact an excellent draftsman fully able to faithfully duplicate his model should he have so desired.

The Training of an Artist's Hands and Eyes

Kerry Pendergrast, co-owner of Pranoto's Art Gallery and a well known artist in her own right has been through this learning process encouraged by her artist husband, Pranoto. After 3 years of regular participation in life drawing classes she acquired the necessary expertise and skills to draw the human form either as she actually sees it or in the way her creative spirit dictates.

Kerry cautions that no one should be discouraged during the sometime prolonged period to acquire the skills to draw the human anatomy. Like playing a musical instrument it takes time and patience to master these skills. Emphasizing that the learning process can be fun she says the learning process must be savoured and enjoyed, experiencing the escape of the mind and time.

According to Kerry "All other thoughts are cast aside when you are drawing a live model."

Life Drawing at Pranoto's Art Gallery

Pranoto's Art Gallery on Ubud's main street has hosted life model sessions since 1996 offering a valuable service to the artist community for both beginners and established artists.

During the twice weekly life drawing session there are no instructors present. Artists are free to choose their own mediums and methods.

Open to all interested artists the life drawing model session are imbued with an atmosphere of intense concentration as each participant in the studio defines his or her individual approach to the same model and pose.

Artists and models come from both Indonesia and overseas. The sessions have various pose times: Wednesday session (10 a.m.-1.00 p.m.) starts with 5 minute warm-ups increasing to 10, 20 and finally 60 minute poses. Saturday sessions (10.00 a.m.-1.00 p.m.) have 5 minute poses followed by a long pose of 80 minutes. Both sessions feature a model break every 20 minutes.

New models experienced or not are always sought and welcome. Both male and female models are featured in the life drawing sessions.

Each artists is asked to contribute Rp. 20,000 with each artist providing their own art material. No photography is allowed.

Bookings are not required. For more information contact Pronoto's Art Gallery at 361-970827.